Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical garments. More specifically, the present invention relates to a medical garment designed to outwardly resemble a standard t-shirt, while providing easy access to medical devices attached to the wearer's chest.
Discussion of the Related Art
For patients receiving certain medical treatments, it is often necessary to remove clothing to expose body areas for receiving treatment, connect medical devices, or allow access to such medical devices. Many people have aversions to disrobing and wearing hospital medical gowns, often with the feeling that their bodies are prone to unnecessary exposure due to the way the garments are constructed. Others feel that changing into a medical gown is inconvenient and unnecessary when receiving a quick medical procedure. This can be particularly troublesome with young children, as they often will resist multiple changes of clothes or any clothing that is deemed uncomfortable.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 7,454,798 to Feodoroff relates to a medical garment configured to be worn by a patient requiring medical attention. The application discloses a blouse portion, a shoulder portion, a torso portion, two arm portions, an open front, and at least one fastener; a breast access panel separate from the open front and extending from the shoulder portion to the waist of the patient, a strip of hook and loop material attached to an inside of the breast access panel; a mating strip of hook and loop material attached to an outside of the torso portion, wherein the breast access panel is configured to be moved between ins open and closed positions while maintaining the open front in its closed position. The configuration of the breast access panel provides much too large of an access area to the wearer's chest.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,552 to Hogan discloses a medical dignity garment allowing access to a medical access area of the patient without removal of the garment and closure over the garment while treatment is in progress, comprising a body portion, and front panels having at least one flap, the flap defined by placket, lower, sleeve, and folding edges. The flap can be folded along the folding edge. Due to the configuration of openable edges, the way that the flap opens is not ideal for procedures on the chest area from above in comparison to the present invention.